JOHANNESBURG, June 18 (Xinhua) -- South Africa and Rwanda have agreed to strengthen bilateral ties and deepen cooperation across a range of sectors, South African Government News Agency (SA News) reported Thursday.
South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola hosted his Rwandan counterpart Olivier Nduhungirehe in Pretoria on Wednesday for bilateral talks, according to SA News.
The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to strengthen diplomatic engagement and cooperation between the two countries, with discussions focusing on trade, tourism, health, education, security and people-to-people exchanges.
Speaking after the meeting, Lamola said South Africa and Rwanda are committed to resetting and re-energizing their relations, adding that the visit by the Rwandan delegation provided an opportunity to address outstanding issues through constructive dialogue.
Relations between South Africa and Rwanda have been strained since 2014, when the two countries expelled each other's diplomats following allegations related to criminal activities and diplomatic status violations. Visa restrictions on holders of ordinary Rwandan passports have also been among the issues affecting bilateral exchanges.
According to local media, Lamola said the two sides agreed to take steps to ease travel restrictions and improve mobility, including progress toward lifting restrictions on holders of ordinary Rwandan passports traveling to South Africa.
Lamola also welcomed Rwanda's move to lift a ban on agricultural produce from South Africa that had been imposed after the 2017 listeriosis outbreak, saying the measure would help build confidence in bilateral and continental trade.
Nduhungirehe said the meeting produced concrete outcomes, including the resumption of visas for Rwandan nationals within 12 months and the relaunch of the Joint Commission on Cooperation, which is expected to convene in Kigali in the first quarter of 2027. ■